1928 Half Dollar Error List with Pictures
A 1942 Walking Liberty half dollar struck on a quarter blank sold for $16,200 in 2018. That comparison explains the high estimate below, but no matching 1928-S discovery is established here.
Reported 1928 half dollar errors also include raised lines, peeling metal, clips, and off-center strikes. Estimated ranges span $75–$18,000, with the top range reserved for an authenticated quarter-blank example.
Read the five sections to see which physical checks each possibility requires.
1. 1928-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Die-Crack and Raised Die-Line Reports (Estimated Up to $450)
A raised line can begin as a hole in the tool. Metal enters that narrow space during striking and leaves a ridge on the coin.
The 1928-S guide reports both die cracks and die scratches. A die is the steel tool that stamps the design.
A crack in the tool often produces an uneven or branching ridge. A scratch in the tool can leave a finer, straighter raised line instead.
These causes differ from a scratch on the finished coin. That later damage cuts down into the surface, even if bright edges make it look raised.
Estimated Value
Estimated values of $75–$450 cover moderately worn examples through coins retaining strong detail. The year guide reports ordinary 2025 sales of $145 for VF25 and $168 for VF30.
Those grades describe worn coins with substantial remaining detail. Neither result identifies a die crack or raised die scratch.
A bold fracture may add interest, but a fine line often adds little. The condition and originality of the whole coin usually matter more.
How to Identify
Before tracing the line, decide whether it rises or sinks. Shine light from opposite sides while looking through a 10× magnifier.
A recessed cut, fresh bright metal, or a lip pushed upward can indicate later damage. A genuine raised tool mark should be part of the struck surface.
Now follow its course. Irregular changes and branches favor a crack; a fine straighter trace may come from a scratch in the tool.
Keep 1928 and the S on the back visible in photographs. Check the edge grooves and, when safely accessible, use a scale and calipers against 12.50 grams and 30.6 mm.
The essential first distinction is raised metal from the stamping tool versus a cut into the finished coin.
2. 1928-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Reported Lamination Error (Estimated Up to $600)
A thin part of the surface can lift away from the metal below it. Collectors call this peeling a lamination.
The weakness lies within the silver alloy. It may leave a loose flap, or a shallow space where a flake has already fallen away.
The 1928 year guide reports this type without locating the flaw on a particular certified coin. It does not place it on Liberty, the eagle, or another fixed spot.
Look at the actual layer rather than assuming every rough patch has the same cause. Scraping and corrosion can also disturb a surface.
Estimated Value
For moderately worn examples with visible natural separation, estimate $100–$600. A related silver-half comparison is a 1912-S Barber with a retained flap.
That coin sold for $89 in March 2026, graded VG8 for heavy wear. Its different year, design, and condition limit the comparison.
A better-preserved 1928-S with a larger clear separation may bring more. The estimate applies to an identifiable peeling layer, not automatically to every dark or rough patch.
How to Identify
Study the edge of the affected patch under a 10× magnifier. A thin overhang or natural split is more useful than a difference in color.
Follow any remaining design into the disturbed area. Corrosion holes and scraped channels usually lack the same layered structure.
Do not pull a loose flap. It can break away, removing part of the evidence and changing the coin.
Record both faces, the date, and S mint letter. Inspect the edge grooves and use a scale and calipers when safely accessible against 12.50 grams and 30.6 mm.
A separating layer that continues beneath still-attached metal gives a clear reason for calling the feature a lamination rather than ordinary surface damage.
3. 1928-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Reported Clipped-Planchet Error (Estimated Up to $1,000)
A clipped coin begins with an incomplete blank. The punch may overlap an earlier hole or reach beyond the metal strip’s edge.
The remaining blank can still enter the press and receive the coin’s pictures. Its missing segment stays missing after striking.
The 1928 guide lists clips without naming one certified example or giving a size. A curved gap is possible, but it is not the only shape a clip can have.
This differs from an off-center strike. A clip lacks metal, while an off-center strike may keep the metal but leave part of it bare.
Estimated Value
Use an estimated $150–$1,000 for genuine worn 1928-S clips with readable dates. A later Walking Liberty comparison is a 1942 coin with a one-percent clip.
It sold for $126 in September 2019, graded AU58 for slight wear. The tiny missing area limits that comparison.
A larger, clear 1928-S clip with attractive surfaces may bring more. This estimate does not assign an unknown clip percentage or invent a sale of a 1928 example.
How to Identify
Look at the metal beside the missing segment, not just the shape of the gap. Under a 10× magnifier, check whether the struck design fades naturally toward it.
Fresh saw marks, file marks, or sharp burrs point to later removal. Inspect the opposite rim too; incomplete blank formation may have left a weak section there.
That opposite weakness helps when present, but its absence alone does not settle the question. Compare the surviving edge grooves with unaffected sections.
A scale should show less than 12.50 grams if a meaningful amount is missing. Use calipers on safely accessible coins against the usual 30.6 mm and confirm the date and S.
Natural strike changes around the gap should support the missing blank segment.
4. 1928-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Reported Off-Center Strike Error (Estimated Up to $1,500)
An off-center strike leaves some metal untouched rather than cutting it away. The blank sits out of position when the stamping tools meet.
Part of the intended picture misses the blank. Another part of the blank remains outside the tools and receives no design.
The 1928-S guide reports this type without giving a direction or percentage. A new example must show its own amount of shift.
Both faces need inspection. One misplaced tool can make a single border uneven, while a weak ordinary strike can lose detail without moving the picture across the coin.
Estimated Value
Estimate $300–$1,500 for genuine worn examples with a moderate shift and readable date. A 1976 Kennedy half struck fifteen percent off center sold for $480 in December 2025.
It was graded MS64, meaning unworn with some marks. That later coin has a different design and alloy.
Its price offers a comparison for interest in visible displacement, not an actual 1928-S sale. The Walker’s wear, remaining date, and amount of bare metal affect its value.
How to Identify
Keep the entire outline in view and find where the picture ends against bare metal. Turn the coin over while tracking the same area.
Both faces should support the displaced blank. If only one picture shifts, investigate tool alignment; if both complete pictures remain on an enlarged coin, consider a broadstrike.
Use a 10× magnifier to inspect the boundary and edge grooves. Trimming or hammering can remove border detail without leaving an original striking boundary.
Confirm the date and S on the back. When safely accessible, calipers record the outline against 30.6 mm and a scale checks the normal 12.50 grams.
The matching incomplete pictures should sit beside retained blank metal on both faces, rather than beside a cut-away gap.
5. 1928-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Wrong-Planchet Examination (Estimated Up to $18,000)
A half-dollar picture on a quarter blank would look smaller and lose design at its edges. Low weight alone cannot establish that mistake.
The 1928 guide discusses a possible discovery but does not document a certified 1928-S example. The comparison here concerns a silver quarter blank specifically.
A known 1942 example shows what happens when the smaller blank cannot hold the complete half-dollar design. It is often called the Headless Walker because of the missing upper detail.
A proposed 1928 example would need matching weight, size, metal, and surviving design before receiving the same explanation.
Estimated Value
For a newly authenticated 1928-S on a silver quarter blank, estimate $3,000–$18,000 with readable dating and slight wear through lower-grade unworn condition. The 1942 Headless Walker sold for $16,200 in 2018.
It was graded MS62, meaning unworn with noticeable marks. That is an actual different-year sale.
The estimate describes the stated 1928 scenario, not an existing sale. Another blank size, alloy, or condition would require a different comparison.
How to Identify
Start with measurements when the coin is safely accessible. A silver quarter blank is about 6.25 grams and 24.3 mm, compared with a half dollar’s 12.50 grams and 30.6 mm.
Use a scale and calipers, then inspect the edge with a 10× magnifier. Filing, clipping, wear, and deliberate thinning can reduce weight without changing the original blank type.
The surviving picture must identify the half-dollar design and year. Any mint claim also needs visible support.
A specialist can check the metal and distinguish an original mint strike from an alteration. Low weight is only the start.
Look for quarter-sized measurements together with a naturally cut-off half-dollar picture, rather than a normal coin made thinner or smaller afterward.
Conclusion
Estimated comparisons run from $75 for modest raised-line examples to $18,000 for the stated quarter-blank scenario. The top estimate requires an authenticated discovery; the 1942 sale does not establish a 1928-S example.
Every regular 1928 Walking Liberty half came from San Francisco. Check the S, then follow the physical clue: a raised line, peeling layer, missing segment, or untouched area each needs its own explanation.